CAIRO, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A French archeological mission in Egypt discovered an ancient sandstone painting and a wooden coffin dating back to some 3,500 years in Asasif ancient cemetery west of Luxor province, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said on Thursday.

The two pieces date back to the the 18th Dynasty of pharaohs who ruled ancient Egypt from 1550 BC to 1292 BC, according to Mostafa Waziri, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The discovery was made in Asasif region west of Upper Egypt's monument-rich Luxor by a joint mission from French Institute of Oriental Archeology in Cairo (IFAO) and University of Strasbourg, led by French Egyptologist Frederic Colin.

The coffin was almost intact but the painting had its upper left part missing.

In late September, an Egyptian archeological mission, also in Asasif, discovered two ancient tombs with two mummies.

Egypt, one of the world's oldest civilizations, has been working hard to preserve its archaeological heritage and discover the secrets of its ancient artefacts.

Over the past few years, the country has witnessed several big archaeological discoveries including pharaonic tombs, statues, coffins, mummies, burial sites and funerary gardens.